1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system suitable for direct communication by one mobile object with another and for communication by one mobile object with another interconnected by still another mobile object and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent References 1 through 7, for instance, disclose methods for connecting a mobile object to a network, such as a LAN, to carry out data communication. Non-Patent Reference 1 discloses a method for connecting mobile objects with wireless access points to carry out data communication. However, none of these references discloses a method that dynamically searches for and finds a communication path between a plurality of mobile objects to make possible communication between them.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-236632
Patent Reference 2: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2003-46680
Patent Reference 3: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-354049
Patent Reference 4: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-307660
Patent Reference 5: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H11-41667
Patent Reference 6: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-322262
Patent Reference 7: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-117207
Patent Reference 6: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H11-41667
Patent Reference 7: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-322262
Patent Reference 8: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-117207
Non-Patent Reference 1: Architecture of an Internet Environment Involving Motor Vehicles (1997 WIDE Report)
The present invention, attempted in view of the problems noted above with respect to the prior art, is intended to provide a communication system capable of constantly searching and finding the optimal communication path between a plurality of communication nodes and carrying out communication between them, and a method therefor. Another object of the invention is to provide a communication system for not only carrying out direct communication between mobile objects but also enabling another mobile object to interconnecting communication between them, and a method therefor. Still another object of the invention is to provide a communication system for not only carrying out direct communication between a mobile object and a network but also enabling another mobile object to interconnecting communication between them, and a method therefor. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an information collecting apparatus capable of constantly searching and finding the optimal communication path between a plurality of communication nodes and collecting information, and a method therefor.